JEN DANCZAK’s roots began sprouting in a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio in December of 1991. Immediately grasping the idea of entertainment from a young age, Jen surrounded herself with activities of showmanship. Upon receiving a karaoke machine from ‘Santa’ during her middle school years, it quickly became her most coveted possession-- singing at the top of her lungs in her bedroom every day and every night. Using another Christmas present, a recorder toy called TalkGirl, she wrote and recorded her first songs at just 11 years old.
Jen continued her exploration of music throughout her secondary education, participating in orchestra by playing the violin and joining the school’s choir program. In terms of entertainment through way of sports, Jen was a competitive figure skater alongside being a talented softball player for years. In her early teens, she went on to claim tennis as her favorite sport to play, dominating every court she stepped on, and continuing that domination throughout high school.
Upon graduating high school, Jen’s newfound passion for fashion and endless love of big cities collided as she moved to New York City and enrolled at Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM College). Here is where Jen worked on the runways of New York Fashion Week. One semester later, she then transferred to Fashion Institute of Technology. During her one semester at FIT, Jen interned for the CondeNast magazine, TeenVOGUE, and became a contributor for multiple online publications, such as JoonBug and Paranormal Pop Culture. Towards the end of the semester, Jen began to explore the connection of broadcasting and journalism through shadowing members of the FIT TV program.
Jen then shifted back to the Midwest, attending Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She began to explore more into her love for broadcasting, becoming a DJ for the school’s radio station, Orchard Radio, and interning at the Mojo in the Morning show at the nearby Detroit station, Channel 95.5. Here is also where she took her first acting class and wrote a fashion column for the school's newspaper. Upon completion of the school year, Jen moved south to northwestern Ohio to attend Bowling Green State University. Here is where she earned her first degree, Associate of Science.
Jen knew she didn’t want to stop at an Associate degree, so she made her way back to northeast Ohio, enrolling in The University of Akron. Over the next two years, Jen put in tremendous work at the school’s television program, ZTV, exploring various roles as reporter, host, producer, and editor. Her fellow peers named Jen ‘Most Outstanding Contributor’ during the 2014 season. In 2014 and 2015, she earned two NATAS Emmy Award nominations in the Lower Great Lakes region for her work on the show, Lights, Camera, Akron!
Jen dipped her toes in the world of reality television by participating in Canadian-based show, Panic Button. She flew to Toronto in an attempt to conquer an obstacle course for a grand prize getaway- using intellect, humor and annihilating her fear of snakes and spiders!
The episode aired on truTV in the United States in February of 2014, as Season 1 Episode 12 (the finale called "The Cherry On Top of Panic")
While a student at Akron, Jen interned for a local news station out of Cleveland, WJW FOX 8, contributing to daily news stories around the Akron area. She also landed a part-time position at WMFD-TV in Mansfield, Ohio. Here is where she took stats, edited to script, and reported weekly *live* on air for the first time- for high school football games. (Fun fact- she barely watched football, but it showed!)
Upon graduating with her Bachelor of Arts degree from UA, Jen put her degree to immediate use and moved west to become a Multimedia Journalist at ABC 21Alive/NBC33 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Each day, Jen would pitch and shoot numerous stories, edit the footage in VOSOTs or packages, write each script and go live for several newscasts per shift. Here is where Jen interviewed a plethora of prominent figures and attended highly anticipated events all around the region, where her hunger for broadcasting success and her communication skills simultaneously danced together.
With a devotion of entertainment and adventure undeniably at the center of her soul, Jen decided to endure her fiery desire for performing in Los Angeles, California. Whether it’s materializing songs, recording podcast episodes, or singing to an imaginary crowd in her living room, Jen unceasingly seeks ways to eternally keep that flame ignited, no matter where it takes her. She hopes to continue making a difference in every life she touches, and with every step she takes.
Jen currently resides in West Hollywood with her Beagle dog, Libby.